What employers in Christian-based organisations desire in graduates from a Christian business school

Abstract

Employers of Christian-based organisations have expectations of the attributes of business school graduates, and of particular interest is whether there are different and/or additional skills for graduates from a Christian Business School. The purpose of this study is to engage with various Christian-based employers of business school graduates to discover views, requirements and expectations of graduates from a Christian Business School. An initial review of the literature reveals no published works on the graduate attributes expected by Christian employers of Christian business school graduates. This study seeks to add knowledge given the gap that exists in this literature. The needs of employers change over time, and academics are well advised to ensure the curricula of the courses they teach keep pace with these changing needs. This research was completed during 2019 by staff at the Avondale Business School, part of Avondale University College. Avondale was established in 1897, by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and is a Christian based University College. One way that Christian business school academics can maintain awareness of employers’ preferred graduate attributes is to consult with a range of employers. This study will utilise both qualitative and quantitative approaches to address the research aims of finding out if there are different and/or additional requirements by Christian-based organisations, from graduates who attend a Christian business school. The participants are employees from Christian organisations, who commonly employ these new graduates.